Door latching mechanism



` March 26, 1935. w. c. ANDREWS DOOR LATCHING MEGHANISM Filed April 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEY.

March 26, 1935. W, Q ANDREWS 1,995,338

DOOR LATGHING MECHANISM Filed April 17, 1934 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 26, 193so UNITED STATES 'PATENT oFFlcE WilliamC. Andrews, Blawnox, Pa. Application April 17, 1934, Serial N0. 720,993

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a latching means adapted particularly for automobile doors but useful in connection with other similar doors.

The objects of the invention are to provide latch means which is very conveniently manipulated and the operating handle of which can be pivoted toa positionin which it lies within the door except for one surface which is flush with the outer surface of the said door and the provision of improved means for locking the handle in such iush position.

Other and more limited objects will become ap-v parent from the following description especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an exterior view of a fragment of a door showing my improved latch means in closed or normal inoperative position; Fig. 2 is a sectional view corresponding substantially to a central longitudinal section taken horizontally through Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the operating handle in outwardly pivoted, grasping position; Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear elevation of the mechanism and Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary section showing the construction of the locking means.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the numeral indicates the outer surface of an automobile door 9 and the numeral 11 the vehicle body or door jamb. Attached to'the surface 10 is an escutcheon plate 12 which forms a part of said door and surrounds the exposed surface of the operating handle 13. The escutcheon plate 12 may be provided with notches 14 registering with undercuts 15 in the cross bar 16 ofu the handle 13. These notches will afford means for pivoting the handle 13 in addition to the thumb piece 17 which is'tle principal means for operating said handle to move it from ush position to the grasping position shown in Fig. 3.

The latch mechanism proper consists principally of a sliding bolt 18 and the handle member 13. 'I'he bolt 18 is slidably mountedV by means of blocks 19 and 20, the latter being comparatively short and provided with a slot through which a reduced portion 21 is received. The 'blocks 19 and 20 may be spaced by means of a. third block 22. Carried by the block 22 or mounted in any suitable manner is an element 23 which carries a spiral spring 24 bearing against the end of the element 21 whereby to constantly urge the bolt 18 into the extended position shown in Fig. 3. The handle 13 is pivotally mounted on a rod 25 which is secured to the door by means of bearings 26 and is normally urged to the closed position shown in Fig. 2 by springs 27. It will be obvious from the drawings that the springs 27 have each an end portion projecting outwardly far enough to engage the surface of the plate 10, the other end extending into suitable drilled' openings in the rod 25 as indicated at 28.

The bolt 18 is provided with a slot 29 extending therethrough and having its upper surface cut away as-shown at 30 to avoid interference with the thumb piece 17 when the handle 13 is rotated outwardly to actuate the bolt 18. Within the 10 slot 29 is pivotally mounted a"detent 31 which is normally spring pressed in a clockwise direction by a spring 32 and carries at its free end a roller 33. Carried by the handle 13 on the opposite side of the rod 25 from the cross bar 16 is a pro- 15 jection 34 one side of which is provided with a notch 35 adapted to be engaged by the roller 33 to hold the handle 13 in grasping position and' on the other side is provided with a cam surface 36 adapted upon movement of the handle beyond 20 the grasping position shown in Fig. 3 to cause withdrawal of the bolt 18, that is, sliding motion thereof to the left as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

" The bolt 18 is also provided with a notch or depression 37 in one side thereof within which 25 may be received an arm 38 carried by a rod 39 pivoted to the plate 40 and controlled by the handle 41 which projects into the interior of the vehicle for convenient operation.

The cross bar 16 of the handle 13 is drilled to 30 receive a plunger 42 upon which is received a spring 43. At one end of the bore 44 within which the plunger 42 is received is a bushing 45 which limits the motion of the spring 43 in one direction. Carried by the plunger 42 is a collar 35 46which limits the motion of the spring in the other direction and' causes the plunger 42 to be normally entirely within the cross bar 16. Mounted in the door adjacent one end of the cross bar 16 is a lock 47 which may be of usual 40 construction and provided with a locking plunger 48 adapted to enter the bore 44 to lock the lower end of the cross bar 16 with respect to the door and at the same time to push the plunger 42 into the position shown in Fig. 5 whereby the other 45 end of the cross bar 16 is also locked with respect to the portion 49 of the escutcheon plate 12. The said escutcheon plate may be of relatively heavy construction in this part while being confined to a mere ange 50 at the right and the flange 50 50 and portion 49 may be connected to form a continuous flange or interrupted as shown.

In the normal operation of my improved latching means, the person desiring to open the door will press inwardly on the thumb piece 17 thereby 55 urging the handle 13 to the position shown in Fig. 3. This handle will be held in such position by means of the detent 31 falling behind the projection 34:l and engaging the notch 35. The cross bar 16 is now in position for convenient grasping and the operator may further rotate this handle about the bar 25 thereby causing the cam 36 to retract the bolt 18. As soon as the bolt 18 has been sufdciently retracted the door will swing open. When the door is closed the necessary sliding motion of the bolt 18 incidental to such closing will operate to push the detent roller 33 over the tip ofthe projection 34 thereby allowing the handle 13 to fall into the position of Fig. 2 under the influence of the springs 27.

While I have shown and described the present preferred embodiment of my invention I wish it understood that 'I am not limited to the details shown but only in accordance with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A latch` mechanism for a door comprising a slidable bolt having one end'adapted in one position to extendthrough the edge of said door and in another to be withdrawn into said door, resilient means urging said bolt to extended position, a pivoted detent carried by said bolt, a handle member pivoted to said door and provided with a bolt operating projection adapted to move said bolt upon pivotal motion of the handle member beyond a certain point, and means causing said detent to engage said projection when said handle is swung a predetermined amount.

2. A latch mechanism for a door comprising a slidable bolt having one end adapted in one position to extend through the edge of said door and .in another to be withdrawn into said door, resilient means urging said bolt to extended position, a slot in said bolt, a pivoted detent carried by said bolt within said slot, a handle member pivoted to said door and provided with a bolt operating projection adapted to move said bolt upon pivotal motion of the handle member beyond a certain point, and means causing said detent to engage said projection when said handle is swung a predetermined amount.

3. A latch mechanism for a door comprising a slidable bolt having one end adapted vin one position to extend through the edge of said door and in another to be withdrawn into said door, resilient means urging said bolt to extended position, a pivoted detent carried by said bolt, a

handle member pivoted to said door and normally lying within said door and having its outer surface ush therewith, means carried by said handle adapted to be engaged by said detent upon the swinging of the handle a predetermined distance outwardly whereby said handle may be held in such position for grasping, means carried by said handle adapted upon the swinging of the handle beyond thegrasping position to actuate said boltto withdraw the same.

4. A latch mechanism for a door comprising, a sliding bolt and a pivoted handle lying in one position within said door and with one surface ush with the surface of said door, means for moving said handle to grasping position, means comprising a detent pivotally carried by said bolt for holding said handle in such grasping position, and means actuated by motion of said handle beyond said grasping position for actuating said bolt.

5. A latch mechanism for a door comprising, a sliding bolt and a pivoted handle lying in one position within said door and with one surface flush with the surface of said door, omeans comprising an integral thumb-piece for moving said handle to grasping position, means comprising a detent pivotally carried by said bolt for holding said handle in such grasping position, and means comprising an integral cam actuated by motion of said handle beyond said grasping position for actuating said bolt.

6. A latch mechanism for a door comprising, a sliding bolt and a pivoted handle lying in one position within said door and with one surface flush with the surface of said door, means for moving said handle to grasping position, means for holding said handle in such grasping position, and means actuated by motion of said handle beyond said grasping position for actuating said bolt, saidhandle being T-shaped, and means operable by a single control for locking both ends of the cross bar to said door.

'7. A latch mechanism for a door comprising, a sliding bolt and a pivoted handle lying in one position within said door and with one surface flush with the surface of said door, means comprising an integral thumb-piece for moving said handle to grasping position, means comprising a detent pivotally carried by said bolt for holding said handle in such grasping position, and means comprising an integral cam actuated by motion of said handle beyond said grasping position for actuating said bolt, said handle being T-shaped, and means operable by a single control vfor locking both ends of the cross bar to said door.

`mediate its ends, a sliding bolt adapted to be engaged by said handle, said handle when in the closed position having the outer surface thereof disposed substantially ush with the outer surface of the door, means disposed adjacent one end of said handle for moving the opposite end thereof to a. position to be grasped by the hand, means for holding said handle in such grasping position and means actuated by the movement of the handle beyond the grasping position to actuate said bolt to open the door.

9. A latching mechanism for doors comprising a handle pivotally mounted on the door intermediate its ends, a sliding bolt adapted to be engaged by said handle, said handle when in the closed position having the outer surface thereof disposed substantially flush with the outer surface of the door, means disposed adjacent one end of said handle for moving the opposite endy thereof to a position to be grasped by the hand, said means including a spring pressed detent pivotally mounted within the door and a cam carried'by and disposed adjacent one end of said handle for holding the handle in such grasping position and means actuated by the movement of the handle beyond such grasping position to actuate said bolt to open the door.

10. A latching mechanism for doors comprising a handle pivotally mounted on the door intermediate its ends, alatching bolt adapted to be engaged by said handle, said handle when in the closed position having the outer surface thereof disposed substantially flush with the outer surface of the door, means for moving one end of the handle to a position to be grasped by the hand, means for holding said handle in such grasping position and means actuated by the movement of the handle beyond the grasping position to actuate saidA bolt to open the door. 

